An Assorted Affair
by Audacitiy
Summary: Jack/OC - As the name implies, a love story. My attempt at fanfiction! - "Oh, but I've always loved him Jack. I've never thought to love anyone else."   He stared at her. "I know, Laure. And that's just the thing; You've never thought.." Please Review!
1. Abduction

Jack stared hard at the rich wood of the massive door before him. Gibbs shuffled at his side, and he was reminded of the urgency of their situation. He reached up a bejeweled hand and knocked.

The door swung inward, and a severely French servant looked down at them distastefully.

"Vhat iz it zat you ar' vanting, please?" Jack cringed at the accent, but answered

"We've come to see your mistress. Is she here?" The servant eyed them skeptically.

"You know zee Marchessa Laure d'Orleans?" Gibbs frowned.

"Course we do. If we din't, how'd we know where ta find this place? Ten miles from the city, out in tha forest here..." The servant glared at them another moment, then asked icily,

"And your names would be?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, and Gibbs, course." The servant bowed them in and went to fetch his mistress. Jack and Gibbs stared around the entryway and were impressed. Everything was gold and marble – tapestries colored the walls and the place reeked of nobility. Gibbs coughed,

"Bit extravagant, don't you think?"

"She's a Marchessa now. That's almost a Dutchess. D'ya think she'd be livin' in a log cabin?"

"Certainly not!" A voice called. Both men turned to see Laure standing at the top of the grand staircase. She was dressed in a magnificent gown of mint-green silk, and as she swept down to meet them it swirled around her. Well!" She said when she stood before them. "Whatever brings you to Louisiana?" Her voice was low, and her smile mischievous. Jack smirked.

"It's good to see you too! Why the whispers? Don't want your Frenchmen to hear our conversation?"

"I take it you'll be wanting to discuss secret things," She cast a glance down a hallway and grabbed his arm. "Come on." She led him and Gibbs into a parlor and closed the door behind them. "So what is it, then?" She asked, sitting.

"Well," Jack started, falling into a chair. "We've lost the Pearl you see. Blackbeard sunk it. We'd a had it by now, if Harold Morgan's son hadn't gotten to it first." Laure smiled.

"You mean Hank Morgan! I'm afraid you'll have to start shopping for a new vessel, Jack, if you've lost your ship to him." He glared at her.

"I will not. I have every intention of retrieving The Pearl from Hank."

"You know better." She said shortly, and he stood up then.

"I do not. That's why we're here, you see." She blinked.

"What does your being here have to do with getting the ship back? Hank isn't here." Jack smiled and began to pace.

"No, I know that. We're here for you, my dear Laure." Gibbs shuffled uncomfortably as Jack continued. "You see, in all of the time that I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance, you have always been engaged, romantically, with Hank Morgan. I was surprised, you understand, to hear of your marriage to that French Marquis… However, when your husband soon died of tuberculosis, I had no doubt of the continuance of your love affair with Hank…" He turned and smiled down at her charmingly. "So you see why I am here." Laure sat very still in her chair and rapped the arm with her fingers, eyes cool.

"I won't tell you where he is," but she trailed off. "I – Jack Sparrow if you think you're going to use me to get your ship back, you are very mistaken."

"Laure, how long have we been friends now? Since you were 6, I think. My father and your father were friends, don't you remember that summer in Jamaica?"

"Yes. I remember you breaking open casks of sugar cane and the master of the plantation beating you senseless… Regardless, if you want us to remain friends you will not ask me to betray Hank in any way."

"You needn't do a thing my dear. We ask nothing of you. Only that, you do not scream."

"Wha-" She was not able to finish her sentence, as Gibbs, from behind, put a cloth over her mouth. The chemicals entered her head, and she immediately slid to the floor. Jack looked down at her, a twinge of discomfort in his eyes.

"I almost feel bad about this." He said quietly as he took her up in his arms. Gibbs opened the long French window, and the two slipped out in the night.

"I do too…. The Nacre's a nice ship, but I miss good English panels beneath my feet. The Pearl needs ta come back to ya Jack, and kidnapping Laure here's the only way that's gonna happen." Jack nodded.

It wasn't long before they came to the river. Climbing into their small boat, they proceeded to make their way to the Gulf. After a-while, they came to The Nacre, and climbed up the side. When they were on deck Jack gave a few orders to his young crew. Their destination; Port Royal.

"Oy!" He called. "Get the door, ey?" A deckhand obliged, and Jack carried Laure into the captain's quarters. The door was closed behind them, and Jack proceeded to lay Laure out on the bed. He looked down at her, and felt that same twinge of unease. It was then that she opened her eyes. Slowly, her dark eyelashes fluttered, and then her chocolate pupils were aimed at him. She sat up so quickly, her head spun, and she had to fall back on the pillows.

"Jack Sparrow," She whispered, lethally, as the crashing of waves outside her told her where she was. "You'll be sorry for this."

"I am sorry, love. But it's the only way." She sat up slowly, and marked the genuine sentiment in his words.

"Regardless, you'll be sorrier when Hank comes." He nodded.

"Perhaps, on any other day – but I have you, my dear. And that means that I will be more than safe. Hank will hand over the Pearl with, I imagine, no resistance; because he will want you returned to his arms, unharmed." A shadow fell over her face.

"You wouldn't hurt me, Jack." He turned away and made for the door. With his hand on the handle he said very quietly, so that she could just barely hear him,

"For the Pearl, dear Laure, I would." And then he left her.


	2. Rememberance

The sea glittered and shone with all the colors of the sunset as Laure stared off to the horizon. Jack came up beside her and looked out with her, but she ignored him. For the entire trip from New Orleans to Port Royal, Laure had not spoken a single word to Jack. She had hardly made eye contact, except to give him an occasional look of disgust if they happened to run into each other. She had taken up in his room, and Jack had claimed a hammock below. Tensions were high.

"Laure," Jack said, in a rather rough voice. She turned to him and met his uncertain gaze with harsh severity. He frowned. "Are you really going to be so furious with me? It's been –"

"I shall be mad as I please. I think I have a right, anyway. You drug me, steal me away from my manor, hold me hostage on your ship and threaten violence. Excuse me if I refuse to be very warm towards you." Her words were harsh.

"Fair enough. But, you're not in any real danger. I'm sure Hank will give in instantly."

"And if he doesn't? You'd draw my blood for your ship."

"It won't come to that, and you know it."

"Well, it's the principle of it then." She turned from him then and went back to staring out at the sea.

"Laure, I am sorry for drugging you. This is all necessary, and I know that you, of all people, can understand."

"You can do without the Pearl: this is a fine ship!"

"You know better." She was silent. She knew. But, she was offended, and hurt, and determined to stay mad at him. "Can't we be friends again? you might _try_ to be empathetic."

"Ha!" She spun to face him. "Me? Empathetic? _You_ say that-" She trailed off. "You know, the French navy will be out looking for me too Jack. It's not just Hank who will come. I'm part of the Royal Family now. You gave the doorman your name, you remember…" And her smile was wicked. Jack grinned.

"I like your smile, no matter how ill-intended… Anyway, I've had larger navies after me before, if you recall… If it makes you feel better, I will no doubt have suffered thoroughly by the end of all this. So long as I get my Pearl in the end, I shall endure most willingly." She surveyed him a moment then nodded.

"Fine. Fine. Because I know that you will indeed be made to pay for your crimes, either by the French, Hank or your own conscience, I will forgive you because I am just _that_ good of a person." He chuckled.

"That you are." She smiled. "It's better when we're friends. Don't you think?"

"Why not? If I'm stuck on this ship with you, I might as well be sociable. You'll get what's coming – but until then, I'll just enjoy your company."

"That's fine by me." They took to leaning against the rail. "So, how long's it been since you've seen Hank?" Laure's eyes dimmed, and he was moved by the apparent sadness about her.

"Two years next week. That we should be kept apart for so long! I impress myself that I am able to continue functioning without him like I am…"

"Why did you ever marry that Marquis, if you don't mind my asking?" She smiled a weak smile.

"He was a fantastic man, you know. A very good friend of mine – and he was dying. So I married him. And why not? Hank was gone... Now I'm the Marchessa of New Orleans, capital of the Louisiana colony. I am in command of 200,000 acres... which makes me the most powerful woman in America, although, that isn't saying much. But it has put me in with the Heads of Europe. It was just an all around fine engagement!" It was clear she was avoiding the matter of betraying Hank. "You know Jack, you should demand a ransom while you're at it." And she smiled, and Jack knew that she held no ill will toward him.

"I think I'm demanding enough from Hank… you can't be worth so much." And they laughed. "How is it though, I'm wondering, that the daughter of a French governess and an English Merchant gets to marry a Marquis?"

"He told me he had never seen hair like mine, and that he had to marry me because of it." Jack cast a critical eye to where her bountiful mass of dark curls was pinned up into a rather impressive pile on her head. "Yes… He said it had to be from Athena herself."

"Was he mad?"

"Quite, actually. And maybe that's why I liked him." She trailed off. "So how will Hank find out you have me here, anyway?"

"Oh I sent out some men to spread the word. He'll be coming within the week, I'd imagine." Her face lit up at the prospect. "How you managed to fall for that man, I'd never guess."

"Why do you say that?" He grinned.

"He's a tool." She smiled.

"How so?"

"Well," he said. "You can tell by looking at him. He's very handsome, I'll give you that, but his intellect is shallow and lacking. Am I right?"

"Well he isn't a scholar or a philosopher or anything like that. He's a pirate, for goodness sakes!"

"Yes love, but I at least know that The Netherlands are a country – and not, in fact, a series of islands in the Pacific." Laure fell to laughing.

"Oh I remember when that happened! It was in Martinique, wasn't it?"

"Yes. The Governor asked him if he had ever been to the Netherlands, and he said "God no, I'd never sail so far East!" And the Governor said "I don't understand you sir! Is France so far east? I know you have been there. The Netherlands is only just north of France!" And Hank said, "France is nowhere near Japan, man! Those Pacific islands are not worth the time it takes to get there." And everyone laughed at him."

"Yes and he hated it! He can't stand to be laughed at, you know. He stormed out, do you remember?" And they smiled in their shared reverie.

"Those were very fine times, were they not? When it was you and Hank and me and –" He stopped.

"Angelica!" She smiled warmly. "You don't have to pretend with me Jack, I was there." He nodded.

"I know." Laure sighed.

"But then you left her, and we all went back to Europe without you… and Hank's father passed and he decided to carry on his father's legacy… I don't understand you men!" And she bit her lip, looking with heavy eyes out toward the island.

"Rather fell apart then, eh?"

"Yes." Her voice was quiet. "Yes, and then I waited for Hank. And when he came I was happy. But he always had to leave… and then I married Jacques and I think Hank was very angry with me. I've only seen him once since the wedding and he said nothing about being mad, but I could tell he was disappointed with my actions." Jack shrugged.

"Well what do you expect, marrying another man?"

"You don't think he's had his share of women at sea?" They were silent.

"You're both human. He'll come for you, and that will be fine." Laure contemplated her situation. Finally, shaking herself out of her thoughts, she smiled.

"He is a bit of a tool, isn't he?" Jack chuckled.

"Yes. That's why I needed you. If I were to go after him myself, without any leverage… He's sheer strength. There's only ever been one man who I wasn't sure I could beat, and that was Hank. We had a falling out a few years back, did you hear?" Laure nodded, and Jack wondered if the reason behind his and Hank's falling out had spurred her to marry another man.

"Yes, he told me. I got a letter from him when I was back in France, before Jacques. I think he was upset about it."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No," And she looked to him expectantly. He thought quickly;

"I'd lost a bet to him, and I didn't pay. It was petty, looking back." He saw she believed him, and relaxed. Their falling out had been over a woman. A drunken brawl in Tortuga, and he regretted it now more than ever. He was glad for her ignorance.

"Men…" She shook her head. "Oh!" She called as a man popped up over the railing. "Hello."

"G'day miss." He said, crawling over onto the deck. "New from Barbados Cap'n."

"What is it boy?"

"Ol' Morgan's on his way. He got word from Smith's crew and he'll be 'ere 'fore night tomorrow."

"Good job Perks. Go get some dinner, eh?" The boy tipped his hat and hurried off. Jack turned back to Laure who stood, flushed.

"Looks like you'll be seein' Hank tomorrow, love. Are you gonna be wantin' a new dress?" Laure smiled fleetingly.

"I dare say I shall."


End file.
